Stafford James - the bass

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THE BASS...

The Brecker Brothers had performed "Cantelope Island" by Herbie Hancock and rumor was that the judges did not feel that this was Jazz, although they played very well. So, the University of Michigan and Indiana University shared the prize that year. For me, it was truly an enriching experience. One that I will always cherish.

It is now 1969, post Kent State but still in the Vietnam era. I decided that it would be a good time for me to do some studies in New York.

I got a job at the U.S. Post office at Cooper Union Station in Manhattan. I lived in Hoboken, New Jersey in one of the buildings from the movie "On the Waterfront" with Marlon Brando. The address was 39 Second Street. It was a walk-up and I was on the Sixth Floor. The saving grace was that the view of Manhattan was unbelievable. The whole of Manhattan plus the river and the Statue of Liberty.